Tickling Cheeks
by eliphya
Summary: Himawari loves her fathers stubble and insists on him never shaving again. [NaruHina l OS ]


A quiet evening had settled in the Uzumaki residence, accompanied by the sun setting behind the countless buildings of Konoha, creating a play of orange shades.

The delicious scent of homemade food spread and lured Naruto into the kitchen, only to be welcomed by the back view of his wife.  
With a gentle smile he watched her from a distance while leaning against the doorframe. A composition of boiling food and Hinata's soft humming resounded in his ears and widened his smile.

He had never been a very still person but somehow watching her had always eased him in a way that made him forget the passing time. Observing her had become his private treat and at this point it would be very easy for him to complete a book with her antics and habits he had collected from his observations.

Naruto was so deep in thought that he nearly missed his daughter entering the kitchen.  
His eyes followed the newcomer, who was too busy with the two stuffed animals in each hand to pay her parents any attention. Absentmindedly Himawari guided her plush toys from one part of the room to the next, letting them jump between various pieces of furniture.  
The girl had spent the past few hours silently trailing her father like a tail and didn't seem to give up on this doing.

Hinata had presented her daughter with a pat on the head before she continued to stir the steaming food in the pot on the stove.  
Naruto drew closer to his wife, stretching his limbs in his walk. He had had the day off and could feel the evidence in the stiffness of his muscles.

"Isn't Boruto a little late? Should I go pick him up?" he asked. He hadn't seen his son since noon when Ino had picked him up for a playdate with her son and the other children. It was untypically quiet without the boy around and after Hinata started to prepare dinner and Himawari had gradually lost interest in playing with him, Naruto had gotten bored.

"Ino-san said she would bring him over before dinner, so don't worry about that." Hinata glimpsed at him, when Naruto nodded, slightly pushing his lower lip forward. This meant that there was still nothing for him to do.

"Should I help you?" He slid his head over her shoulder, brushing her cheek, to check what the culprit of the mouth-watering smell was.

"I'm nearly finished, there is nothing for you to do _now_."  
Hinata gave a ringing laugh and jumpily backed away from him. For a moment Naruto looked at her in an utterly confused manner, hit by her reaction. "Your stubble prick, you should shave," she explained, lightly laughing because of the medley of shock and bewilderment on his face.

"Ah." He aimlessly stroked over the little prickles of the visible beard on his chin. "Yeah, I was going to but a certain girl didn't allow me," he answered chucklingly. His gaze lowered on Himawari, who now anxiously tugged at his pants, while standing between him and her mother.

She wildly shook her head like she wanted to prevent something drastically bad from happening.

"No, I like tou-chan's spikes." Naruto lifted the three-year-old up, who immediately embraced his neck, protectively pressing her cheek against his, as if a sole glance could cause his beard to vanish.  
The glint she gave her mother, made the parents exchange looks.

"Tou-chan has to work tomorrow." Hinata put on a composed mien and laid the cooking spoon aside. But Himawari denied overly, pressing her cheek even firmer against her father's, while Naruto struggled with the urge to laugh out loud.

Hinata gave up with a sigh. She knew that any argumentation would fail. Himawari would still whine and shake her shoulders vigorously, while Naruto would smile at his little angel squirming in his arms.

Himawari had started to move her head up and down, her father's stubble scratching her skin. A composed smile graced her lips as if the scratchiness was the best feeling in the world. It was surprising how much she resembled a kitten.

"Do you like it that much?" Hinata wasn't able to suppress the smirk on creeping up on her face. Himawari nodded, her cheek not moving an inch away from her father's.

"How about this?" Naruto shifted and tugged his head at her neck and moved around excessively, tickling her with the spikes she liked so much. It made the girl laugh loud. Being tickled by his beard was one of the reasons she didn't want it to disappear.

"Come on, let me shave Himawari," Naruto said smiling widely.

"No." The laughing made it hard for the girl to sound determinant.

"Come on." He had already started to use his hands for the negotiation, pinching her sides lightly, making her laugh even louder and more jarring than before.  
She wasn't able to respond properly.

"You can help me shave if you want to." Naruto stopped and adjusted the worn out girl in his arms. He himself was breathing heavy too, as if he had done something overly exhausting.

"Hm." Himawari wouldn't indulge completely and pouted, like she was weighting the two possibilities in her head.

"Huh." Naruto made her jump in his arms. "Come on."

"Fine." She placed her little hands on his cheeks again, sensing the prickles she was barely able separate from.

"Yes." Naruto threw the girl over his shoulder, making her laugh once more and left the kitchen.

Hinata's eyes followed them, a composed smile scurried on her lips. Moments like these made her remember how lucky she was. She had a wonderful family that was the world for her. Nothing would make her want to change her life. Even just watching them like this made her happy to an extent that she wouldn't believe was possible if it wasn't happening to her.

With that thought she turned around again, listening to her husband and daughter's noisy way of entering the bathroom and probably making a mess already.  
But her smile wouldn't leave her lips.

* * *

Shaving took longer than usual. Naruto could observe Himawari's facial features flinch whenever she witnessed the brutality of the razor moving down his face, removing the beard bit by bit.

She had kept laughing when Naruto asked her to put the shaving cream on his face. It had reminded her of the snow in winter so her hands played a little with the white mossiness.  
But the smile escaped as soon as he had pulled out the razor.

Himawari was in charge of operating the water faucet but watched him closely as her hand firmly grasped the metal tap.

"And we're finished." Naruto rinsed the razor once more, before he laid it down and washed his face to get rid of the remaining foam. He looked down at his daughter while reaching for a towel. He couldn't really read her face, as she looked at him in a way too serious manner.

He creased his eyebrows while she stepped down from the stool she always used to reach the water tap. She was already at the door when she turned around again and roamed her gaze from his head to his toes. Naruto stood still as if her eyes didn't allow her to move.

Then she walked out without a word, leaving her father alone in the bathroom he had to clean now. And while he moved around to put everything back to where it belonged and cleansed the traces of the shaving cream in the sink, he sighed. The disappointed look Himawari had given him because there was nothing prickling on his chin anymore flashed his inner eye.

His ears were perked up at any sound his daughter made in the living room but she was quieter than her usual self. Naruto slowed down in his movements, hoping that his daughter would come to look for him. But no matter how fixed his gaze was at the door, the little dark thatch of the girl didn't appear and deceived his yearning.  
He sighed again, never had he thought that shaving would be such a big deal in his household one day.

When Naruto entered the living room, Himawari didn't even grace him with a single glance. She had collected her toys on a pile in front of her and played with them, her features too serious for a toddler who was supposed to be having fun with her toys.

Naruto watched her for a while, clueless of what to do now and scratched the bridge of his nose. He peeked back at Hinata, who was still busy with cooking. Shortly he contemplated which of the two girls he should join but then decided to sit down next to his daughter on the floor.

As if she hadn't realized her father's presence, Himawari gave all her attention to the doll in her hands.  
Naruto jabbed her lightly on her side and smirked in her direction but the girl turned her head away and pretended that she didn't notice the touch.

Disappointed by her reaction, the father narrowed his shoulders. She probably would refuse to talk to him for the rest of the evening. Himawari may be a very cheerful and happy child but, despite her young years, she could be very stubborn.

"Don't you like tou-chan anymore because I shaved?" His voice was gloomy as if the world gradually crumbled around him. Even when his eyes stared at her profile, he didn't really await an answer since Himawari was very skilled in the silent treatment.

"I love tou-chan anyway." Naruto's brows rose at the dulcet voice of his daughter. The girl's lips formed a pout and her gaze was still hanging at the toys.

"Really?" He drew closer, lowering his body greatly because of their height difference. A grin had found its place on his lips. It wasn't a mischievous or sneering grin but a playful and content one, charmed by the happiness he felt that he could call this girl his daughter. How was it possible that he had such a lovely and pretty daughter all for himself?

It was as if she had him all twisted around her little finger. She knew how to make him weak and vulnerable but could lift his mood with just a simple gesture or a short heartfelt sentence. It was different than with Hinata because he had absolutely no chance against Himawari whatsoever.

He couldn't contain himself in lifting her to his lap and tickling her sides. Her former serious expression was soon gone and exchanged by a bright laugh.

"Tou-can loves you too." Her wiggling legs and the sound of her voice pulled the corners of his mouth even higher.  
Her little hands were placed on his head but they didn't push him away, instead assisted him in puffing and blowing on her stomach and nuzzling his nose at her.  
The melody of her laugh ringed in the room and motivated him to continue. He was able to make her laugh even without his stubble.


End file.
